HOW CAN I TELL HER?

Posted by Unknown On Sunday, March 7, 2010 24 comments
The music of the 1970's is in a class of its own. I have yet to see such creative and original music that exudes that much depth of meaning, dimension of feelings and the way each song could reach out and touch our hearts in such a moving and poignant way till it is only natural that tears can well up in our eyes as we feel with the music. One such writer who could do that with much ease, style and flair is certainly Roland Kent Lavoie, better known by the stage name Lobo. My teenage bell-bottomed years were made unforgettable because of his music, especially when I went through the throes of puppy love, breakups and more...



Lobo, was born on July 31, 1943 in Tallahassee, Florida. An American singer-songwriter, he was successful in the early 1970s, achieving fame and fortune with songs such as "Me and You and a Dog Named Boo," "I'd Love You to Want Me," "Don't Expect Me To Be Your Friend" and of course the soppy "How can I tell her?" which many could identify with when going through breakups. In 1971, he decided to use the name Lobo (which means wolf in Spanish) that could be remembered easily.

Raised by his mother in Winter Haven, Florida with his six siblings, he never met his father and never questioned his mom about his dad. If you wish to know more about his biography, check out THIS LINK from the official Lobo Fan Club site. It will also give you the background of his first hit "Me and You and a Dog named Boo".

For details of his musical career from the 1960's to the present, check out THIS SITE.

I am sure many baby boomers like me have fond memories of his songs. There's so much passion in his words and his songs are still so evergreen, even after 40 years. His soulful voice has a velvety touch as though he is caressing my ears. Sometimes it almost feels as though he is whispering the lyrics into my ears. The best part is his words describes the life of reality with a freshness that lifts the spirit from the depth of my heart. Even after four decades, his music transcends time, never ages, and listening to his music makes me feel like a teenager again! Indeed, his music touched me and his songs spoke the unspoken words of pain, love and anguish that I could never vocalize so listening to him sing was quite a cathartic experience then and certainly brings back fond memories even now.

This is what Lobo wrote about his lyrics in response to birthday wishes at his official fan site:

Back when I wrote most of these songs I really didn't realize how much they said about my true feelings, but as I have gotten older I find that most of them express the way I really am. i.e. they are me. On the day I reach the double nickel, its nice to hear that some of feelings are shared by others.
Recently, he released another album called "OUT OF TIME" which features some new songs as well as the old favorites. "Out of Time" represents the step back to the original era of these recordings, revisiting his old songs the same way he wrote them, by doing all the instruments himself they are "Out of Time". It refers to the classic nature of those old songs, how they are still favorites, even though they don’t follow the norm of today’s songs. Always classic, always moving forward, that’s Lobo at his finest!!

Here's a selection of his hits from YouTube. You can right click on the titles to enjoy his music. May these songs bring back fond memories. My favorites are marked with *.




This post is specially dedicated to Mr. X who loves Lobo's music and does not want to be named :-).

Do leave a comment if you wish to share your thoughts. I would love to hear from you. Thanks! Have a lovely and romantic evening. :-)

24 comments to HOW CAN I TELL HER?

  1. says:

    Boleh Man Lobo is the one of the best singer-songwriters ever. Very few singers have a voice that comes close to his.
    Lobo is evergreen!
    I just love his songs.

  1. says:

    Unknown Dear Boleh Man

    Wow! Great to know you are a Lobo fan too. And we share the same opinion about his voice, songs and music :-).Cool! Take care and enjoy the blast to the past.

    Have a lovely evening!

    Cheers

  1. says:

    Anonymous Somehow I like this John Denver's truly memorable song much better :

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HkGS263lGsQ

    Hey, MWS, didn't your hubby also serenade you with this? He should! :)


    ~wits0~

  1. says:

    Ummie MWS, Thanks a thousand for providing the link. You are marvellous. My husband sure love these - We used to keep the LP records but threw away as they were damp.
    Anne Murray is one name I will not forget too, for the beautiful lyrics she expressed in her songs.
    MJ when a young boy with Ben, Donny & Marie with their Puppy Love & Paper Roses, all croon their songs with innocent feeling.

  1. says:

    Unknown Dear ~wits0~

    You are so scary lah!!!

    My first date with my husband was on August 11th, 1977. He came to pick me up on a rainy evening riding on his ancient Yamaha which should be vintage by now. Wearing bell-bottomed brown pants with a batik shirt(!!!!!), he smiled and I got on the bike and off we went to Capitol cinema, Prangin Road to watch "SUNSHINE" which featured many John Denver hits including Annie's Song.

    That movie was a tearjerker - er...not a very good start to a relationship haha but we have been together since then...:-)

    And yes, he did sing me this song in those good old days (!!!!)- including Annie's Song, The Green Leaves of Summer and many Johnny Tillotson and Johnny Horton hits including North to Alaska!!!

    Aiya my Lobo days were before I met hubby LOL!!!

    Cheers

  1. says:

    Unknown Dear Ummie

    Oh - I am sooooo glad you also like Lobo! Sadly, I gave away those original LPs :-( much to my regret!!

    But thank God for YouTube!!! :-)

    I spent the whole afternoon listening to all the songs I listed here :-) - a wonderful way to spend a Sunday afternoon :-).

    I hope you and your dear husband will have a lovely time listening to these oldies but goodies from Lobo!

    I also love Anne Murray, Donny Osmond etc...ahhhh the music of the 70's - the best!!!

    Take care and do keep in touch, dearie!

    Salam

  1. says:

    Catherine A picture might be worth a thousand words, but sometimes a song says it best.

  1. says:

    Unknown Dear Catherine

    You have expressed it beautifully, my dear. Thank you so much!

    Take care and have a lovely evening.

    Warmest wishes

  1. says:

    QQ I love Lobo's songs. His voice is so cheerful, clear, sweet and romantic.

  1. says:

    Village Boy Please dedicate the following Lobo's songs to :

    Ong Tee Keat :
    Goodbye Is Just Another Word

    Chua Soi Lek :
    I Don't Wanna Make Love Anymore

    Liow Tiong Lai :
    Don't Expect Me To Be Your Friend

    Ong Kah Chuan :
    It Doesn't Matter Anymore

    Ng Yen Yen :
    I'd Love You To Want Me

    Wishing them all the best!

  1. says:

    Anonymous Kulim-Bandar Baharu Umno invites Zulkifli to join it and serve the constituency.

    This Lobo's song should be just nice for this racial bigot :

    "There Ain't No Way"

  1. says:

    Ex-MCA Man Dear Village Boy,

    Among the 5 VVVIPs of MCA, I only salute the courage of Ong Tee Keat!
    But, sad to say, he now looks like a lone-ranger fighting against a bunch of evils!
    For all we know, without Umno's support, he stands no chance to be re-elected as the President. I think he can do better if he fights against corruption and for justice from outside BN.

    As for CSL, I sense that the MCA members are more in favour of a Porn Star to lead the party. To them, moral may be a trivial matter.

    As for LTLai, OKChuan and NYYen, well, I reserve my comments! You just need to ask around, especially LTLai, and you will be very 'pleasantly surprised' about their well-kept 'records'.

    To put it succinctly, MCA can now do whatever it wants to do. Nobody really cares. The Chinese Malaysians are now more strongly behind Pakatan Rakyat. They believe only Pakatan Rakyat can bring them hope.

    What do you think?

  1. says:

    Anonymous Listening to Lobo's songs brings back some very old memories.
    We are taking a stroll down memory lane, aren't we?

  1. says:

    Unknown Dear QQ

    Glad to know you are also a Lobo fan :-). I agree with you re his vocal quality. Amazingly, the sound quality of the youtube clips are superb! Enjoy....

    Take care and may you have a wonderful week!

    Cheers

  1. says:

    Unknown Dear Village Boy

    Love your wit and sense of humor. Your song dedication is really so appropriate. Thanks a bunch!

    Take care and hope you will have a great week ahead!

    God bless you always.

    Cheers

  1. says:

    Unknown Dear Anon @ 8.08 pm

    :-) Most appropriate haha!! Thanks for your sense of humor and wit!

    Take care and do keep in touch.

    Cheers

  1. says:

    Unknown Dear Ex-MCA Man

    Thanks for your insightful observations and questions raised to Village Boy. I hope he responds to these questions.

    Take care and have a lovely week ahead.

    Cheers

  1. says:

    Unknown Dear Anon @ 9.11 pm

    A very beautiful walk indeed! Thanks :-)

    Hope you had a beautiful walk too.

    Take care and may your life be filled with unforgettable moments.

    Cheers

  1. says:

    Village Boy Dear Ex-MCA Man,

    I truly agree with you that only Pakatan Rakyat can bring us hope.

    However, it is very sad to note that the cracks in Pakatan Rakyat are now wide open and its short-comings and scars are increasingly obvious and well-nigh impossible to hide.

    We cannot deny that Pakatan Rakyat is now plagued by endless squabbles, constant in-fighting and open breach of discipline.

    In fact, many once-loyal supporters have become disheartened with the failure of Pakatan Rakyat and its leaders to close ranks and carry out what they had promised, i.e. the reformation of society, fighting poverty and corruption, giving ordinary Malaysians liberty and security of life.

    Hence, we can only hope for the best!

    God bless

  1. says:

    Unknown Dear Village Boy

    My deepest appreciation to you for your sincere and realistic response to Ex-MCA Man's question.

    Take care and God bless you for your honesty.

    Shalom

  1. says:

    stephen LOBO reminds me of the carefree days of the early seventies, spinning records and recording favourite tunes on cassettes which was the new kid on the block at that time.

    Me and you and a dog named Boo was the iconic song of that era,being played endlessly on RRB (radio raaf butterworth) and rangkaian biru if memory serves me right.I would by habit have my tau sar pneah and coffee whilst enjoying the afternoons all by myself, my parents both at work and siblings overseas.

    Armstrong is another iconic song that is a timeline into that era and our love affair with the moonlanding.

    Thanks for the memories MWS

  1. says:

    Unknown Dear Stephen

    Thanks for a very nostalgic comment. Yes, I did all that too and had a sizable collection of vinyls which I gave away when cassettes came into the scene- sth I regret till today.

    Listening to RAAF was a routine from the time I was 7 years old and I mourned deeply when the radio station closed down.

    I can't remember Armstrong, the song...but I remember the pride and the whole works after the moon landing - a definite milestone in my childhood.

    You are welcome re the walk down memory lane. Thanks to you too! Take care and have a great day.

    Cheers

  1. says:

    ahoo Good old sentimental songs will always be evergreen. Unlike the current hard rocks, hip-hop etc. that's driving oldies away. Even the lyrics were just so meaningful and written out of one's heart.

    As for MCA (Male Chauvinist Alliance) just spare them the space to do what they needed to do. Furthermore, MCA (May Close Anytime) has always be fighting for themselves first and then for the party with the people last.

    On the Pakatan front, please spare them space to reorganise and be truly a reformed front. With only 2year together, we must be more tolerant toward them as compared to 52 years of BN rule where things are just plainly wrong. We can't be any worse with a 2 party system and ensure that the people's voice are heard loud and clear via their votes.

    Our words reveal our thoughts;
    Our manners mirror our self-esteem;
    Our actions refelect our character;
    Our habits predict the future.
    -William Arthur Ward.

    Have a refreshing day !

  1. says:

    Unknown Dear ahoo

    Many thanks for your moderating thoughts that are fair to both sides of the divide. God bless your kind and sensitive heart.

    Thank you also for the quotation from William Arthur Ward - very inspiring indeed.

    Take care! Have a great day and a blessed week ahead.

    Shalom

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